Blake Fitch: Expectations of Adolescence

Blake Fitch — Expectations of Adolescence
April 1 – July 18, 2008
Gallery Reception: April 10, 2008, 5-8pm

Light Work is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition, Expectations of Adolescence, featuring the work of Blake Fitch.

The images in this exhibition follow the lives of Kate, Fitch’s youngest sister, and Julia, her cousin, as they have grown from adolescence to young adults. The 10-year project captures the physical and emotional changes in the two girls in celebration of youthful beauty.

According to Fitch, “I hope to have captured the simple moments in their search for their own identity as it becomes publicly displayed—at a dance recital or simply by the way they look at themselves in the mirror—and then subsequently informs the various traits that are either incorporated or discarded on their way to becoming an adult.”

While it can be said that all works of art are in some way autobiographical, this notion seems particularly true when the subject is the artist’s family. Fitch has been able to draw out an autobiographical aspect of photography by shooting candid and intimate images of her family. And through this, has found a way to look back at her own teenage years from an adult perspective.

Fitch received a BFA in Photography from Pratt Institute and an MS in Arts Administration from Boston University. She also participated in the MFA program in Photography from The School of the Arts Institute of Chicago. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, OR; Center for Contemporary Art in Adeline, TX; and The Center for Photography at Woodstock, NY; and Lepont Gallery in Aleppo, Syria. Her work is also featured in various permanent collections, including at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX; Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA; George Eastman House of Photography in Rochester, NY; Light Work; and Danforth Museum in Framingham, MA. She has received awards including sponsorships from Calumet and Kodak, a Society of Photographic Education Graduate Scholarship, and a Harper’s Bazaar National Talent Search Grand Prize. Her talents have further been recognized by Mamiya in Photo District News. She participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence program in 2006.

Also on view at this time is an exhibition titled Educating Artists: Photography Programs in Review. This exhibition Light Work will host a gallery reception to celebrate these exhibitions on Thursday, April 10 from 5-8pm. Gallery hours are Sunday to Friday, 10am-6pm, and by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 315-443-1300. The exhibitions and reception are free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in the Marion Parking Lot and Booth Garage.

Light Work invites groups and individuals to schedule tours and gallery talks of the exhibition and facility. Light Work is a nonprofit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media. Light Work is a member of CMAC, the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers at Syracuse University. For more information about any of these exhibitions, please contact Jessica Heckman at Light Work, 315-443-1300 or [email protected].

**Other press images from all exhibitions are available upon request.